Medical monitoring system

Abstract

Medical patient monitoring devices that have the capability of detecting the physical proximity of a clinician token are disclosed. The medical patient monitoring devices may be configured to perform a selected action when the presence of a clinician is detected. The selected action may be dependent upon an attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical patient monitoring device for monitoring physiological information, the medical patient monitoring device comprising:
 an interface configured to receive physiological information associated with at least one patient; and   a detector for detecting the physical presence of a clinician token within a detection area in the vicinity of the medical patient monitoring device,   wherein the medical patient monitoring device further comprises a processor that is configured to take a first predetermined action in response to detection of the clinician token in the detection area, the first predetermined action being associated with at least one attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token.   
     
     
         2 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises the time of day that the clinician token is detected. 
     
     
         3 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to take the first predetermined action if the clinician token is detected during normal waking hours, and to take a second predetermined action if the clinician token is detected during normal sleeping hours. 
     
     
         4 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises the number of times the clinician token has been detected in the vicinity of the medical patient monitoring device over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         5 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises the length of uninterrupted time that the clinician token remains in the vicinity of the medical patient monitoring device after having been detected. 
     
     
         6 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises an indication of whether or not a sanitation device in proximity to the medical patient monitoring device has been used within a predetermined period of time before the clinician token is detected in the vicinity of the medical patient monitoring device. 
     
     
         7 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the clinician token is indicative of the identity of a clinician, and wherein the predetermined action is also associated with an attribute of the identity of the clinician. 
     
     
         8 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the first predetermined action by querying a database that receives the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token as an input. 
     
     
         9 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the first predetermined action by executing logical rules, the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token being an input to the logical rules. 
     
     
         10 . The medical patient monitoring device of  claim 9 , wherein the logical rules are dynamically adjustable. 
     
     
         11 . A medical patient monitoring method comprising:
 receiving physiological information associated with at least one patient; and   detecting the physical presence of a clinician token within a detection area in the vicinity of a medical patient monitoring device,   using a processor, taking a first predetermined medical monitoring action in response to detection of the clinician token in the detection area, the first predetermined action being associated with at least one attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token.   
     
     
         12 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 11 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises the time of day that the clinician token is detected. 
     
     
         13 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 12 , further comprising taking the first predetermined action if the clinician token is detected during normal waking hours, and taking a second predetermined action if the clinician token is detected during normal sleeping hours. 
     
     
         14 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 11 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises the number of times the clinician token has been detected in the vicinity of the medical patient monitoring device over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         15 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 11 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises the length of uninterrupted time that the clinician token remains in the vicinity of the medical patient monitoring device after having been detected. 
     
     
         16 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 11 , wherein the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token comprises an indication of whether or not a sanitation device in proximity to the medical patient monitoring device has been used within a predetermined period of time before the clinician token is detected in the vicinity of the medical patient monitoring device. 
     
     
         17 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 11 , wherein the clinician token is indicative of the identity of a clinician, and wherein the predetermined action is also associated with an attribute of the identity of the clinician. 
     
     
         18 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining the first predetermined action by querying a database that receives the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token as an input. 
     
     
         19 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining the first predetermined action by executing logical rules, the attribute of the circumstances surrounding detection of the clinician token being an input to the logical rules. 
     
     
         20 . The medical patient monitoring method of  claim 19 , further comprising dynamically adjusting the logical rules.